A Sketchbook Of Thumbnails – The right way to Pastel

The October 31-pastels-in-31-Days Problem is effectively behind us now. The first function of the Problem is to get one thing painted every day. And this may be oh so arduous!! One factor that helps me make this day by day follow occur is having a sketchbook of thumbnails.

Why is this convenient?

As a result of a whole lot of the arduous work has already been executed!

Think about. You get to your studio prepared to color however first, ack!, you’ll want to resolve what to color. In case you’re portray from images, you’ll want to select a photograph. Then you’ll want to choose what a part of the photograph to make use of. Then you’ll want to simplify…and create a great composition and likewise decide a robust worth sample. It’s a must to determine what format to make use of. A lot to do earlier than you really put pastel to paper!

And that’s the place a sketchbook of thumbnails is available in. The work’s already executed! Right here’s a sheet of thumbnails – all besides one was used to color from final 12 months.

A sketchbook of thumbnails - Dogwalkers and gallery goers — Dogwalkers and gallery goers

Every day of the Problem (and that is true of any day I’m in my studio to color one thing representational), I simply flipped via my sketchbook and selected a thumbnail that jumped out at me. Then it was a matter of grabbing some paper and sketching up the piece. And sure! then it was time to leap into pastels. (The sketching-up-on-paper course of may all the time be executed the day earlier than. It doesn’t require creativity so doing it on the finish of the day works effectively. The following morning, you’ll be able to leap straight into pastels. Whoot whoot!)

In case you’re portray from life, eg from a still-life arrange, you’ll want to do the identical issues in preparation to use pastel. It’s trickier to create a sketchbook of thumbnails already accomplished although, so this concept works finest when utilizing images.

A sketchbook of thumbnails - with Post-it tags marking unused thumbnails — Right here’s one in every of my sketchbooks with quite a lot of yellow post-it word tags. They signify a web page with thumbnails that I haven’t used for work but. Nonetheless LOTS to go!

Most of the thumbnails I labored from on this 12 months’s Problem had been created final 12 months.

Right here’s an instance. Many of the thumbnails on the web page beneath had been used for the 2020 Problem. There are two that weren’t used. In 2022, I chosen one in every of two unused thumbnails to color from.

A sketchbook of thumbnails -A page of thumbnails from previous years — A web page of thumbnails from earlier years

Rhythm of the challenge: Gail Sibley, "The Red Circle," Unison Colour pastels on UART 320, 8 x 12 in. Available. $600. — Gail Sibley, “The Purple Circle,” Unison Color pastels on UART 320, 8 x 12 in. Accessible. $600. I really like that the purple circle in Miro’s portray is the factor we see on this boy’s telephone. I needed to make Miro’s portray the star of this piece after which have the second purple circle (and figures) seen secondarily. Joan Miró, “Determine in Entrance of the Solar,” 1968, acrylic on canvas, 174 x 260 cm, Miro Basis, Barcelona, Spain.

Right here’s one other instance. Thumbnails executed and painted from final 12 months, one thumbnail used this 12 months, and one risk remaining.

A sketchbook of thumbnails - Thumbnails - Miro selfie used this year, three others used previously, and one still to go. — Thumbnails – Miro selfie used this 12 months, three others used beforehand, and one nonetheless to go.

Gail Sibley, "Selfie with Women, Birds, (Gallery Goers series)," Unison Colour pastels on UART 320, 10 x 10 in. Available $625. — Gail Sibley, “Selfie with Girls, Birds, (Gallery Goers collection),” Unison Color pastels on UART 320, 10 x 10 in. Accessible $625. After I taught a vacation spot retreat workshop on the coast of Spain, I headed to Barcelona for some “me” time. I adored the Miro Basis and plenty of of my Gallery Goer work have been set on this fantastic museum. I smiled after I noticed this man attempting to take a selfie with this gigantic piece by Miró!

So When To Do The Thumbnails?

Everytime you don’t have time to do a full-blown piece!

If you’re feeling beneath the climate, possibly a bit sniffly, and don’t really feel like getting caught up in mud or supplies
If you don’t have a whole lot of time to dig in
If you really feel you wish to do one thing however you could have solely a small quantity of power.

These are all nice alternatives to get a thumbnail executed!

It’s superb how good you’ll be able to really feel after doing even one thumbnail. This IS progress! This IS displaying as much as do the work. And sure, thumbnails do take effort. They are work! This is the reason it’s such a deal with to flip via a sketchbook of thumbnails already executed and simply decide one!

Right here’s one other instance. That is an assorted instance of thumbnails – structure and gallery goers. I selected the Tuscan city scene to color. It was a pleasant change from the figurative work halfway via the Problem.

A sketchbook of thumbnails - Tuscany sketches and thumbnails plus a couple of gallery goers — Tuscany sketches and thumbnails plus a few gallery goers

Gail Sibley, "Quiet Afternoon in Trequanda, Tuscany," Unison Colour pastels on UART 500, 8 3/4 x 5 3/4 in. Available. $295 — Gail Sibley, “Quiet Afternoon in Trequanda, Tuscany,” Unison Color pastels on UART 500, 8 3/4 x 5 3/4 in. Accessible. $295. I began this piece a few years in the past, received it drawn up, and made a begin with a partial first layer down. I can’t bear in mind what made me cease however as I used to be searching for paper to make use of, I got here throughout it. It was an ideal break from figurative work!

I like engaged on a collection. I’ve been doing Canine Walkers and Gallery Goers for a few years now and they’re nonetheless going sturdy. Engaged on a single theme (eg Gallery Goers) helps me know what to get to work on when I’ve time to do thumbnails. And since I get pleasure from portray these topics, the extra thumbnails I’ve in stock, the higher!

Right here’s a web page with quite a lot of Gallery Goers. You’ll additionally see there are two thumbnails on the high (from a kitchen in Costa Rica) which might be nonetheless obtainable to color from. (Can’t wait to begin that new collection!)

A sketchbook of thumbnails - Gallery goers all used. Still two thumbnails set in a kitchen to be used! — Gallery goers thumbnails all used. There are nonetheless two thumbnails set in a kitchen for use!

Gail Sibley, "Black Hats (Gallery Goer series)," Unison Colour pastels on UART 500, 10 x 10 in. Available. $625. — Gail Sibley, “Black Hats (Gallery Goer collection),” Unison Color pastels on UART 500, 10 x 10 in. Accessible. $625. Ever since I noticed this man this portray by Klimt at an exhibition of Klimt’s work on the San Francisco Legion of Honor a number of years in the past, I’ve needed to color this scene. (Within the reference photograph, the person is definitely trying on the label so I pushed him over a bit!). I used to be drawn to the similarity of the 2 hats of viewer and portray topic in addition to the connection in color of clothes.

I additionally created new thumbnails over the course of the 2022 Problem however didn’t use all of them so there’ll be there to work from each time I’m prepared.

You possibly can see an instance of that right here – the three decrease thumbnails are nonetheless to be painted – yay!! I get excited after I take a look at them and picture the probabilities!

A sketchbook of thumbnails : Thumbnails done in 2022 with three left to paint from — Thumbnails executed in 2022 with three left to color from

Gail Sibley, "Heading For The Hydrant (Dog Walker series)," Unison Colour pastels on UART 500 paper, 6 x 6 in. Available $225. — Gail Sibley, “Heading For The Hydrant (Canine Walker collection),” Unison Color pastels on UART 500 paper, 6 x 6 in. Accessible $225. One other canine walker, this time full with an umbrella on a moist day. I cherished that the canine was heading for the hydrant – typical canine behaviour lol. I couldn’t resist!

So each time I’m in need of time, or after I simply don’t really feel like portray, I get out my images and have enjoyable scrolling via. I decide a picture after which get to work on a thumbnail or two in my sketchbook. It’s such a reduction to have thumbnails able to go!

Do you could have a sketchbook of thumbnails? Do let me know. And if not then have you ever been impressed? I’d LOVE to know so make sure you depart a remark!

Till subsequent time,

Gail

PS. You possibly can see all my work from this 12 months’s 31-in-31 Problem HERE.

PPS. It is a nice little pocket book to have readily available. It comes with clean pages and a web page marker. And it is available in a whole lot of colors!!